Guide to the George Bancroft Papers - New York Public Library

The New York Public Library
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Manuscripts and Archives Division
George Bancroft Papers
1823-1890
MssCol 196
Richard Salvato
February 1984
rev. 2008

Biographical Note
The American historian, diplomat, and public official, George Bancroft, was born in 1800 in
Worcester, Mass. and died in Washington, D.C. in 1891. He graduated from Harvard College
and did post-graduate work at the University of Göttingen. During his long career, Bancroft was a
teacher at the Round Hill School in Northampton, Mass., Collector of the port of Boston,
Secretary of the Navy under President James K. Polk, Minister to Great Britain, 1846-1849, and
to Germany, 1867-1874. He is best remembered for his ten-volume History of the United States,
From the Discovery of the Continent. In 1876 he published a six-volume version called the
Centenary Edition, and in 1882 he published The History of the Formation of the Constitution of
the United States of America. And in 1883-1885 he brought out his last revision of the History of
the United States.
Scope and Content Note
The papers consist of general correspondence for the period 1823-1890; correspondence, 1847-
1849, of Bancroft as U.S. Minister to Great Britain with Cave Johnson, the Postmaster General of
the U.S., concerning postal communications and postal treaties with Great Britain;
correspondence, 1863-1889, of Bancroft and J. Dickinson Logan, with the librarian and historian,
George Moore, on historiographical matters; and correspondence, 1887, with J.G. Harris relating
to the presidency of James K. Polk.
Included in the general correspondence are letters by John Meredith Read, Austin Allibone,
Winfield Scott, Silas Wright, Charles Henry Hart, and Samuel Tilden. There are also dispatches of
the U.S. Legation at London, 1847-1849, and at Berlin, 1867-1870, during Bancroft’s tenure as
U.S. Minister.
The bulk of the rest of the papers concerns Bancroft’s writings and includes some poetry; articles,
addresses, and notes, drafts, proofs, and various printed editions of the History of the United
States; drafts of The People Demand Independence; and rough drafts and emended typescripts
of The Life of Martin Van Buren. There are also a few photographs, clippings, book catalogues,
lists of books, lists of primary source material in European archives, some legal papers and
accounts, notes taken at Göttingen, transcriptions of rare books, some papers relating to
diplomatic duties, and material relating to the decision in favor of the U.S. made by Wilhelm I of
Germany in the dispute between the U.S. and Great Britain over the water boundary between the
State of Washington and British Columbia.
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Container List
Box No. Contents
General correspondence
1 1823-1858
2 1859-1890, n.d.
Correspondence with
Cave Johnson, 1847-1849 (includes letters to Johnson regarding the postal
communication between the United States and Great Britain)
Dispatches
George Moore, 1863, 1879-1886, [1889]
Letter from Charles Gayarre, undated
U. S. Legation, London
3 1847-1848 May
4 1848 Jun-1849 May
5 1849 Jun-Aug
U. S. Legation, Berlin
From Bancroft to the Dept. of State, 1867, 1870
From the Dept. of State to Bancroft, 1868-1870
Miscellaneous, including Bancroft’s notes, written copies of documents ranging from
citizenship laws to his own notes on American history, and documents in German
concerning Prussia and the North German Union, {1867-1870]
Notes and jottings of Bancroft’s life in Berlin and sketch of the characters of Bismarck and
Moltke, etc., 1867-1869
Treaty between the United States and Württemberg regulating the citizenship of those
persons who emigrate from the U.S. to Württemberg and vice versa, 1868
6 The Democratic Review, Vol. XI, Nos. L, LIII (1842)
Photographs of Bancroft, 1856, n.d.
Personalia
Accounts
List of the faculty of the school at Round Hill, Northampton, Mass. and notes on the
courses of study offered, [1824?]

Box Contents
6 Copy of will of Jamys Bancrofte, 1557
7 Clippings
Copy of will of John Bancroft, 1625
Copy of will of George Bancroft, 1885
Genealogical chart of the Bancroft family
A bill to amend the laws in force for the encouragement of British
shipping and navigation, 1849
Convention between the U.S.A. and Her Majesty, the Queen of … Great
Britain … for the improvement of the communication by post between
their respective territories. Concluded and signed … on the 15 th of Dec.,
1848
Memoranda for Bancroft from George Moore re: slavery and New
England, undated
Memorandum of papers to be obtained at The Hague, undated
Catalogue of books, or “Boston catalogue”, gives brief descriptions of
books from 1800s
Book lists, catalogues of books bought by Bancroft, to be bought, and to
be enquired after, undated
The Harrisburg Conference of 1788, 1879
Lists of papers relating to America in European archives, undated
The Federalist, from the New York Times, 1864, and The Federalist
(Washington, 1818), transcript
Virginia coupon cases, 1884
Anniversary dinner at the Mercantile Club, from the “St. Petersburg
Folio”, undated
Miscellaneous, including character sketch of Lord Cornwallis, memos to
Bancroft, various scraps of notes, messages, etc.
8 Four notebooks, only first few pages of each contain notes, undated
For New Volume, notebook, undated
Notes on MS index of Vol. i. Bancroft’s Hist. U.S.
Memorandum of papers in Bancroft’s collection
Notes, five folders
Notes on the burning of Schenectady, Feb. 8, 1690
9 Notes, four folders
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Box Contents
9 Notes: “List of Sources and Auxiliary Works”
Packets of notes and clippings
Rives (W. C.)
Ward (A. H.) History of Shrewsbury, Mass. 1847. Ba.
From a volume of: Goethe’s Sammtliche Weike, 36 vols. In 43.
(Green cloth) Berlin. Ba.
Lamore (Ward H.) Life of Abraham Lincoln. Bost., 1872
Letters etc. from Bancroft set of Force’s Archives
Browning (Robt.) Selections from works of, 2 vols. 1880. 80. Ba.
Browning, Robert Aristophanes apology. London, 1875
Auerbach (B.) Spinoza, ein Denkerleben. Stuttgart. 1850.
Ba.441.B.
Notes of G. Bancroft from Bancroft set of Force’s Archives
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley. Works, 2 vol., Lond., 1873
Cronan (Rudolf) Die ersten deutschen Flugblatter uber Amerika.
(Illus.) (N.Y. Staats-Zeitung, 28 Nov. 1897)
Marsh (Geo. P.) Lectures on the English Language. New York.
1860
Draper (John William) History of the Civil War. 3 vols. New
York. 1867-70. 8 vo. Ba.410.F
Knowles. Memoir of Roger Williams. Boston. 1834. Ba.
Sainsbury (W. Noel) Calendar of State Papers, Colonial
Series…Vol. I., London. 1860. Ba.
Ruchert, Friedrich Gedichte. Fr. Am Main.
Grayson (A.) Memoirs of his own times. Phila. 1846
Allibone, J. Austin
Winthrop. History of New England. With notes by James Savage.
Boston. 1853. 2 vols. Ba.
Dean (J. W.) Memoir of the rev. Nathaniel Ward. Du. Copy
Froude (J. A.) The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century.
3 vols. London. 1872. 8 vo. Ba.
Spencer, Herbert The principles of psychology. London, 1855
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Box Contents
9 Joh. Lederer, Der erste deutsche Forschungsreisende in Nord-
amerika. Von Rudolf Cronan. (a translation into German of
Lederer) (N.Y. Staats-Zeitung, Nov. 21, 1897)
Notes taken out of Bancroft copy of “Decouverts et etablissment
des Francais” sent to the binder
Mr. Bancroft’s notes to Vol. XVIII of Martin’s Histoire de France,
4me Edn. Paris, 1863
Loose clippings
10 Notebooks
History, undated
Souvenir, Louis Bancroft’s notes in French and English, 1849
Garden and Orchard book, 1828
History, 1835
History, undated
[General notes], 1867
History, undated
Citations, undated
Cahier d’Algebre, Louisa Bancroft, undated
[List of 18 th c. correspondence between American patriots, sent by
Bancroft to ?], 1881
History, 1836
History, undated
11 Writings by Bancroft
Biography of James K. Polk published in Appleton’s Cyclopaedia
of American Biography. (Galley proof), 1888
“Of the Liberal Education of Boys” A.D., [1820?]
Poems, undated
Unidentified article, undated
“A pleasing narrative of G. Niccolo Machiavelli”, undated
[On the meaning of the seventh petition of the Lord’s Prayer],
undated
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Box Contents
11 Address on the German troops in the Revolutionary War.
(Transcript), undated
“On the Fall of the Achean League”, undated
Biographical sketches of John and Sebastian Cabot, undated
Various fragments of notes, articles, etc., undated
“Martin van Buren to the End of his Public Career”, Chapters 4-6.
(Proof), 1889
“An Incident in the Life of John Adams” (Typewritten with ms.
emendations). Published in Century Magazine, July, 1887
Mr. Bancroft’s address on “Popular Government” delivered at the
third meeting of the American Historical Association, Washington,
D.C. (Newspaper clipping with typewritten additions), 1886
“Holmes’s Life of Emerson” (Page proof from the North American
Review, vol. 140, (PP. 129-143), Feb. 1885
Memorial Address on the life and character of Abraham Lincoln,
delivered at the request of both Houses of the Congress of
America before them, in the House of Representatives at
Washington. Transcript, 1866
Oration delivered by George Bancroft at the obsequies of
Abraham Lincoln in Union Square, New York. (Printed), 1865
12 Notes and proofs of Bancroft’s Martin van Buren to the End of his Public
Career
13 Writings by Bancroft
Lecture on “The Idea of a Universal History” (A.N. and newspaper
clipping), 1840
“Literary and Historical Miscellanies” (New York, 1855) p. 206-
246. “Translations, 1818-1824” (Page proof and some original
manuscripts), 1855
“Literary and Historical Miscellanies” (Printer’s copy), 1855
Poems (transcripts?), undated
“Sketch of the Character of Bismarck”, 65 1, undated
Review of “The Greek Lexicon of Schrevelius translated into
English with many additions” (Boston, 1826) (In North American
Review, vol.24, Jan. 1827, pp. 142-156) Incomplete, 1827
Excerpt re: Goethe from review of “Travels in the North of
Germany, in the years 1825 and 1826” by Henry E. Dwight (New
York, 1829). In American Quarterly Review, vol. 6, (Sept, 1829),
pp. 200-201, 1829
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Box Contents
13 Article on Russia. (Incomplete), circa 1830
Unidentified article. [Oration delivered before the Athenian and
Alexandrian Societies of Amherst College, Amherst, Mass, Aug 21,
1832]
“Visit to Madison’s.” In clerical hand with ms. emendations by
Bancroft, [1836?]
Review of books containing orations delivered by Edward Everett,
in 1824-1825. Published in the New York Review, Oct. 1825.
(Vol. 1, pp. 333-341). Not signed, 1825
Poem: “Different Destiny”. (Translation), [1818-1824]
“Genius: the Expression of the Spirit of the Age.” A.D., [1842?]
Reports of George Bancroft, Linus Child, and George Morey to the
Board of Overseers of Harvard College relative to the reduction of
the cost of instruction at Harvard College, 1844-45
Address delivered at the New York State Agricultural Fair,
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. A.D. and newspaper clipping, 1844
Article on his relationship with James Grahame. (Page proof),
1846
A Plea for freedom of mind in an oration delivered at Providence
before the Philermenian Society in Brown University. (Original
and copy), 1839
History of the United States, from the Discovery of the Continent
14-38 Notes, transcripts of letters and other material, and chapters of Bancroft’s
History. These items are in no particular order.
39 Calendars created by Jaroslav Goll, who was assistant to Bancroft in Berlin
Material in French archives re: the United States, 1776-1789
Certain Lansdowne House and Strachey Mss re: peace
negotiations between the United States and Great Britain, 1781-
1783
Correspondence in the Prussian archives between Thulheimer,
Prussian minister to Holland, with Frederick II, 1778-1782, on
the affairs of Holland as affected by the American war.
Material in European archives re: relations between Holland,
America, and Great Britain, 1775-1788
Relating to the formation of “The Armed Neutrality”
Material in European archives re: Russia and Prussia, 1780-
1782
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Box Contents
39 Translations of extracts from “Holland und United States”
Notes on various countries
[Switzerland?]
Prussia and England, 1777-1783
Prussia and France, 1777-1783
Miscellaneous
Spain
Europe and America
40 List of books (2 volumes)
Church and State in the United States or The American Idea of Religious
Liberty and its Practical Effects with Official Documents, by Philip Schaff,
1888. Ms notes by Bancroft.
Catalogue of Books (3 volumes)
Catalogue of books left in America, No. 2
Books received from 1859
American Constitutions by Horace Davis. Ms notes by Bancroft.
Loose pages from various books
Transcripts
Blake & Davis on the constitutionality of the Embargo Laws
Trial of the Rev. Jacob Gruber, Minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church by
David Martin
Public Good without Private Interest by Lionel Gatford
Remarks on a Late Publication with a Short Address to the People
of Pennsylvania by Joseph Reed
The Predications of Hamilton and De Tocqueville by James Bryce
Fragment of paper with Bancroft’s signature
Rose Catalogue Washington, 1886
List of books purchased, 1829-1858
41 Memoranda books, 1834, 1888, n.d.
Loose notes, undated
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Box Contents
41 Duplicates of laws affecting contracts, undated
Keen, Gregory B. “Note on New Albion” (In “Winsor’s Narrative and
Critical History of America”) Page proof, undated
Contents of George Ticknor Curtis, “History of the Origin, Formation, and
Adoption of the Constitution of the United States” (1855-1858) 2 vols.
Sophocles. “Oedipus Tyrannus”, pages from printed book (?) in Greek
42 Bancroft’s papers on N. W. Boundary Arbitration, 1871-1872, containing
letters, clippings, maps, and notes
43 Additions
Biographical notes / Eulogy of Jackson by GB / Letter re: public policy of Jackson by
F.P. Blair
Volumes
154 Life of Van Buren
Oration delivered by GB at the commemoration in Washington of the death of
Andrew Jackson, 1845 June 27
Biographical sketch of James K. Polk, with notes by George Bancroft. 86 pp.
typewritten.
Sebastian Ferris Streeter (1810-1864) letter to GB, undated
Notes taken from volume of Bancroft Transcripts - Maryland Papers.
Correspondence of Gov. Sharpe.
155 Administration of John Adams. Memoranda and copies
156 Papers relating to the administration of Washington
157 Correspondence with J.G. Harris re administration of James Polk, 1887
391 Personal account book, 1839 Jan 1-1848 Aug 9
392 Memoranda concerning library, 1874
393-396 Notes taken while a student at Göttingen, 1818-1819
397 The People Demand Independence
398-399 Inventory of Bancroft’s library
401-423 History of the United States. Calendars, notes, drafts.
423 History of the American Revolution and Overthrow of the European Colonial System
10